Vet Pet Insurance Reviews

A good rule of thumb when exploring vet pet insurance reviews and choosing a plan is this: you get what you pay for.

If you see a rate that is much lower than all of the others, it is most likely because the plan is not as comprehensive. A less comprehensive plan means that your dog has a higher chance of not being covered or that you are likely to pay more when they are.

And that is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you know what you are buying.

Ready to figure out which plan, if any, is right for you? Okay, let’s get started…

There are many options out there, so to help make your decision easier
we have narrowed down our pet insurance reviews to the most
reputable company in each insurance category: Embrace, QuickCare, Pets Best Insurance and Pet
Assure.

This doesn’t mean that there are not other good companies out there,
but these are the ones we like the best as long as you understand what
you are buying…

Questions
to Ask Yourself Before Evaluating Pet Insurance Reviews

Before taking a deep dive into the fine print, peruse our high level comparison in the next couple of sections and find a plan that you are comfortable with.

What’s that? The words “insurance” and “comfortable” don’t belong in the same sentence?

Good point… let’s rephrase. You should ask yourself the following questions when evaluating each plan to understand which plan makes you feel the most comfortable.

Deep Dive (DD) Pet Insurance Comparison

As you
continue down this page, we will give you the most important
“high level” considerations and recommendations, but you can click over
to the Deep Dive Pet Insurance Comparison to dive deeper into each insurance company and option.

When you see the letters “DD”
for Deep Dive, you’ll know it’s a good time to reference our in-depth
pet
insurance comparison.

Now on to the questions to ask yourself when evaluating your options...

What is the monthly premium compared
to my out
of pocket costs when I use the plan?

Understand which way you lean before choosing a plan:

If you’re looking for a “catastrophic” plan that will only cover your dog for very large claims or that will pay for a smaller portion of your vet bills, you are likely to pay a lower monthly premium.

If you want a plan that will pay the majority of the bill when your dog does get sick or has an accident, then your monthly premiums will be higher.

Is there a specific illness or condition that
is causing me to consider buying pet insurance? Does my dog
already have that illness or condition?

If your dog
already has an illness or condition then it probably won’t be covered
under a traditional plan. This is what insurers call
a
“pre-existing condition exclusion.” You are better off
jumping straight to our Discount Plan
recommendation as it does not have this
clause in their
contract.

What breed is my dog and will the
plans apply a
breed surcharge or cover my dog differently?

Some companies
will give you a discount if your pet is
a Medical Service Pet, is “microchipped” (has a microchip implanted
underneath their skin to track them if they get lost), for enrolling
more than one pet or if you work in the veterinary business. (DD)

Does the plan require the use of a certain
network of veterinarians? If so, is my veterinarian in the
network?

Of our recommendations, only the Discount Plan uses a specific network. The rest allow you to use any licensed veterinarian. If your vet is not currently in the network, there is a good chance that you can get them added.

How old is my pet?

Depending on
their
breed, they may not qualify if they are older than a certain age (if
this provision is in the fine print, the age limit will usually be 6 or
8 years depending on your dog’s breed). (DD)

What’s excluded from
coverage?

You
will have to pay 100% for any excluded conditions. Click here for a list of
standard exclusions, and go to our DD for a list of additional exclusions by plan.

Alright, now that your head’s in the right place let’s get on to the pet insurance reviews.

First we’ll cover traditional pet insurance recommendations, then further down the page we’ll get into non-traditional pet insurance reviews including Discount, Accident Only and Customizable plans.

It's a good idea to read through all of the options before making any decisions…

Traditional
Pet Insurance Reviews by Company

Traditional pet insurance reviews were probably what you had in mind
when you
started your research. With traditional pet insurance, you
choose a particular plan and pay a premium every month to the insurance
company.

When your pet receives treatment that is covered under the plan, your
insurance company will pay part or all of the bill depending on the
provisions of the plan. Traditional plans can cover
accidents, illnesses and sometimes even preventive care such as
immunizations.

We’ve screened the market and believe that your best two choices for
Traditional Pet Insurance are Pets Best Insurance and QuickCare. You
can’t go wrong with either company, which is to say that they are both
reputable and fair and you can count on them to reimburse you according to the terms of their
contract (DD).
While neither of these companies is blatantly trying to trick you,
like most plans they do have some limitations to consider.

Here is a high level comparison of the plans that each company offers (click
here for a list of definitions if you are unfamiliar with the terminology)...

Important: Be sure to check with each company to review all of their information before making a final decision. There is a possibility that prices or benefits could change. In addition, the below information is primarily for dogs. Each of the following companies’ web sites will have information for other pets.

Pet
Insurance Reviews for Other
Plan Types, Including Discount, Accident Only and
Customizable Plans

Some definitions are in order before getting into the detailed "other
plan type" pet insurance reviews…

Customizable
Pet Health Insurance is just like traditional pet
insurance discussed above, except you are allowed to choose the levels
of coverage and in some cases what is actually included under the plan.

Accident Only
Plans are also just like traditional plans except only
accidents are covered. There will be no coverage for anything
else, including illnesses or preventive treatment.

With Discount Plans,
you pay a fee to have access to a network of veterinarians.
As long as your pet is treated at a vet on the list, your bill will be
discounted by a set percentage.

If you are unclear about any of the terminology used in the following
chart, click here for a list of definitions.

Now on to our non-traditional plan recommendations by plan type...

Important: Be sure to check with each company to review all of their information before making a final decision.
There is a possibility that prices or benefits could change. In addition, the below information is primarily for dogs. Each of the following companies’ web sites will have information for other pets.

Boiling
Down Our Recommendations

We only included the best of the best pet insurance reviews in the above summaries. If one of them is calling your name, go for it! You’ll be in good hands.

If you’re still not sure, here are some additional thoughts to guide you in the right direction…

We are huge fans of Embrace because we like to customize our own plans. It
ensures that we are
getting and paying for exactly what we want.

No other plan
lets you mix and match different coinsurance percentages, deductibles
and annual maximums to the level that fits your situation.
This includes the ability to add prescription drug and dental coverage.

Pet
Assure’s unique discount approach and low monthly fees are
also attractive. If you are looking for the lowest possible
premium with absolutely no restrictions, this should be your
choice.

Keep
in mind that you will be likely to pay more each
time you go to the vet, but the benefits never run out as long as you
are using a vet that is a part of their network. If you like
the plan and find out that your vet does not belong, you can always ask
your vet to join.

In addition, they have negotiated some great discounts on pet products
and services that you get to take advantage of as a member.
The discount savings on these product and services alone could offset
the cost of the plan.

Pets Best Insurance and QuickCare are very comparable in
their approach. Like the other two companies, they are
reputable and backed by financially sound insurance companies and their
prices are competitive.

If traditional insurance is what you
are going for, between these two we give the edge to Pets Best Insurance.
Their web site is much more polished, professional and user-friendly and
its plans have no age restrictions.

We
included the Accident Only Plan through
QuickCare for those looking for an inexpensive plan. If you
have an active or sporting dog that tends to get in harm’s way, this
could be a good one for you. Remember that it won’t cover any
illnesses, so if they get sick you are on your own.

Remember, before making any final decisions you should review the web site and contracts of each company. Their web sites will have details about how to get a quote and how to file a claim once you are covered under the plan.

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Also see...

Asking your vet questions via My
Online Vet pairs up well with PetAssure and QuickCare's Accident Only plans, under which some veterinary services can be expensive. My Online Vet allows you to ask
our trained and licensed conventional/holistic veterinarians any specific question and may save you a costly trip to
the
vet.

Disclaimers: The information contained in this web site is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as nor should be relied upon as medical advice. Rather, it is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a pet owner/site visitor and his/her local veterinarian(s). Before you use any of the information provided in the site, you should seek the advice of a qualified professional.

In the spirit of full
disclosure, we wanted to let you know that we proudly support this
website through advertising and affiliate marketing. In other words,
when you click on a link that takes you outside of this website, we
often earn a small commission. These small commissions allow us to keep
the site up and running and to continue offering it completely free of
charge to you. Rest assured that all content, recommendations and
advice are created before, and are independent of, any sponsorship or
affiliate relationship. Click
here for more info.

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Disclaimers: The information contained in this web site is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as nor should be relied upon as medical advice. Rather, it is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a pet owner/site visitor and his/her local veterinarian(s). Before you use any of the information provided in the site, you should seek the advice of a qualified professional.

In the spirit of full
disclosure, we wanted to let you know that we proudly support this
website through advertising and affiliate marketing. In other words,
when you click on a link that takes you outside of this website, we
often earn a small commission. These small commissions allow us to keep
the site up and running and to continue offering it completely free of
charge to you. Rest assured that all content, recommendations and
advice are created before, and are independent of, any sponsorship or
affiliate relationship. Click
here for more info.